Listeners to Radio 4’s Inside Science today get an essay from me in defence of astronomy as pure research. Please listen in and let me know what you think. Show starts 4.30pm GMT here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

Early-career researchers are rightly worried about the road ahead, and have drafted an open letter to UKRI & #STFC, calling for a "strategic correction" to avoid irreversible loss of curiosity-driven UK research - an essential part of future discoveries, tech, & growth. bsky.app/profile/si-w...

Just won with my old trivia team and got three shout outs from the awesome host. It feels good to be back. #OceanBoat

I've updated my post on the funding crisis heading for British astronomy: docs.google.com/document/d/1.... UKRI made clear that astro and particle physics are being subject to unique cuts due to rising costs elsewhere. This looks like a deliberate decision not to fund fundamental physics. 🔭 🧪

Question: Do I re-read the first two Percy Jackson’s to cleanse myself of the atrocious decisions made in the Disney+ series, or keep going through discworld for the millionth time? I guess I could also read something new but I have a cold and need comfort reading right now.

STScI has released the timeline for the #JWST Cycle 6 Call for Proposals. The proposal deadline is September 30, 2026. Read more: ow.ly/U5vL50Y6AOr

This is devastating. The skills that astronomers learn are invaluable to society, many going into industry, the civil service, science communication, … such drastic cuts will have terrible consequences in the long run.

Explore the cosmos at the RWA 🪐🚀 We've partnered with the Royal West of England Academy to today launch a new exhibition 'Cosmos: the art of observing Space', which explores the documentation of celestial mechanics by artists deeply inspired by observations of space. ⤵️

A great paper examining the hot Jupiter HAT-P-30b, lead by final-year PhD student Alastair Claringbold (@exoarcturus.bsky.social), as a part of the BOWIE ALIGN program. The program aims to understand how migration history impacts atmosphere composition. #exoplanets www.arxiv.org/abs/2601.13104

A reminder that I and a bunch of awesome people are doing stand-up about science in Kings Cross on the 28th. This will be excellent. Tickets here: wegottickets.com/event/684234.

Excited to be heading to London on January 25th for a concert of sorts at King's Place Theatre near Kings Cross for "Bach the Universe and Everything" Where I will be talking about exoplanets and their exotic clouds 🪐🌦️ interspersed with music from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment!

ICYMI: Over the winter holidays, my student's paper on KELT-9b was accepted: arxiv.org/abs/2512.19662! With the Hubble Space Telescope's STIS instrument, we find enormous escape of metal ions from the hottest hot Jupiter, KELT-9b! 🪐🔭💫

🚨 Important announcement 🚨 Are you a @royalastrosoc.bsky.social Fellow, science communicator, educator, student or member of a local astronomical society? We need your help! We'll be holding a one-day #RASreach event for Education and Outreach in Manchester on Friday 27 March. ⤵️

Read this message and in a rush have just taken all of the Christmas decorations down. That was a close one! would have been bad luck and they would have had to stay up til Feb 2nd otherwise 😬

Fully funded opportunity for bachelors and masters students to come work at MPIA in summer 2026!

Got a wonderful gift from a former postdoc today! A terrarium based on The forest moon of Endor complete with its own little Ewok & R2D2 😁 The tank was previously used on BBC The Sky at Night to demonstrate optical depth in a planetary atmosphere. A happy repurposing & joyful addition to my office

Doing some filming for a potential project this morning. I always get so nervous before filming things. The more prep for something there is the more nervous I become. Very much more comfortable with the hit and hope method. But nevertheless here we go!

As ever, we'll be doing a foodbank collection at Nine Lessons this year. The list of most urgently needed items are at cosmicshambles.com/ninelessons CC @robinince.bsky.social, @soozuk.bsky.social, @nataliehaynes.bsky.social, @seismatters.bsky.social, @profaliceroberts.bsky.social

Next Thursday night is the first night of Nine Lessons 2025. It's also when we will announce the secret project we've been working on for the last four years. Make sure you're in your seats by 7! www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/nin...

Work from @danvalentine.bsky.social !

🪐 The #ExoMars team at the University has welcomed the UK Space Agency’s renewed backing for the Rosalind Franklin rover mission, a flagship project that will see Europe’s first Mars rover launch in 2028. 🖱️ tinyurl.com/d3m5ysah @esa.int @ukspaceagency.bsky.social @abercompsci.bsky.social

Goes with their long proud tradition of running red lights

At the wonderful venue of the Balmoral ship docked in Bristol Quay to preset to the Bristol Science Cafe. A great team of volunteers on the ship and the science cafes lead Bob who has been running this for over 2 decades bring science to Bristolian life. #exoplanets #scicomm

This weekend we headed to London for the world premiere of @robertlaidlow.bsky.social’s #Exoplanet suite. The London Philharmonic Orchestra were on fine form bring the amazing worlds we study to life. So grateful to have been a tiny part of the journey. Check out Rob describing the piece 👇 #sciart

Check out this awesome talk by @danvalentine.bsky.social all about his research showing how the @esa.int Ariel mission could perform the most extraordinary phase curve survey to teach us all about #exoplanets #proudAdvisor #astronomy #science

In this video I explain how @stellarplanet.bsky.social and @climatebook.bsky.social research into these classes of planets inspired and informed some of the music. The concert premiere of "Exoplanets" is at 7.30pm on Saturday 29th November at the Royal Festival Hall in London - tickets here:

Holst's planets suite may have its famous "Jupiter" and "Neptune", but my new "Exoplanets" for @lporchestra.bsky.social has HOT Jupiters and SUB Neptunes 🪐🪐🪐 (Saturday 29th at 7.30pm!) youtu.be/kXi3TbD4_VA?...

CDT in Aerosol Science is welcoming applications for fully-funded PhD studentships as part of our 8th cohort to start in autumn 2026: www.aerosol-cdt.ac.uk/2026-projects/ Aerosol science is crucial to so many things, check out the linked project catalogue for studentships! #PhD #academicjobs

Had a fabulous week at Ringberg for the “Signal in the Noise“ workshop hosted by two brilliant ECRs in the #exoplanet field @eahrer.bsky.social & @lili-alderson.bsky.social. Loads of ideas on how to get the most out of #jwst data & many new collaborations formed across an eager cohort of scientists

We have snow in Ringberg! ❄️🏰❄️ the sky has fallen, wonderful rainout of the atmosphere followed by a clearing and lowered opacity.

Beautiful lessons in opacity from normal versus slant geometries from the plane as I left Abu Dhabi, some beautiful cloud formations over the Iranian mountains, and beautiful sunset over Romania

Had a great time @nyuad-oaa.bsky.social and an interesting time adventuring in the Abu Dhabi 🐪. Now time to head to Germany for the “signal in the noise” conference led by @lili-alderson.bsky.social and @eahrer.bsky.social held at Ringberg Castle 🏰

Londoners! Drink excellent wine and chat with me about space, next week: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cosmology-...

Given news of recent days and the way the entire landscape of broadcasting and production is going in the UK right now, we are even more excited to tell about what we've been up to. All will be revealed Dec 18 one night one of Nine Lessons. cosmicshambles.com/ninelessons

Got my foundation tutorial group this morning (we’re onto Mechanic and angular momentum) then down to the coach station to head to T4 for a flight to Abu Dhabi to give a talk @nyuad-oaa.bsky.social and chat about #exoplanet science for a few days! Exhausted thinking about it but excited as well 😎🤓

What the US government is doing to Goddard Space Flight Center is devastating. GSFC is the largest science center at NASAs disposal. It is home of Hubble operations, I was lucky enough to see JWST, Osiris-Rex &Roman built there. This destruction will gut US &global space science for decades to come

Very sad that I will not be able to perform for nine lessons this year in Cardiff. @cosmicshambles.com do this for the love of sharing science, art, & stories & make no money personally. If you like things like that buy tickets to support local events and help maintain the joy of spreading stories.

On a bus back to Oxford after a great time talking at Wantage Literary Festival. Anyone want to #askanastronomer anything? 🔭

Are you a grad student interested in writing for Astrobites, or do you know one? We're recruiting! Apply by November 26 :) astrobites.org/2025/10/31/a...

Super excited to be joining the @cosmicshambles.com crew again for their Nine Lessons show. This year, by popular demand, in Cardiff! Get your tickets now 🎫 for December 9th www.glee.co.uk/performer/ni...

People have asked us for ages to bring Nine Lessons to Cardiff so we're slated to be there on Dec 9th this year! That is, if all of you who begged us to bring the show there buy tickets coz it's not looking great right now... @robinince.bsky.social @garwboy.bsky.social www.glee.co.uk/performer/ni...

For #JWST Cycle 5, proposals should be submitted even if observations appear non-schedulable in APT due to guide star availability in bright crowded fields. Get the details: ow.ly/qlTG50X8LK8

It is that time of year when these damn pandas plague us all! #JWSTC5 #exoplanets

London! Next Friday! The Universe WILL end in the company of @astrokatie.com, Steve Pretty, many musicians and myself. Do please come join us wegottickets.com/event/676292

As a theoretical cosmologist, I'm frequently asked "what is the benefit of the work you're doing for people's lives?" Nothing I work on makes money or cures disease. There are a few different answers one can give, at various levels of "convincing" / "actually relevant to why the work is done." 1/🧵

Thirty years ago Monday, astronomers announced the first planet around a Sunlike star. Since then they have cataloged more than 6,000 alien worlds. I asked a bunch of astronomers what their favorite exoplanet is, and wrote about it for @nature.com. What's yours? 🧪 #astronomy

UT Austin Astro is hiring! It's an open call, but definitely interested in getting another exoplanet person! Feel free to reach out with any questions about the department or living in Austin! aas.org/jobregister/...

Today feels like a good time to announce ten new special guests for this year's Nine Lessons shows including @particleclara.bsky.social, @mariaviolaris.bsky.social, @mrsamsee.bsky.social, @stellarplanet.bsky.social, @akshatrathi.bsky.social, John Hegly and more! Tix cosmicshambles.com/ninelessons

This year we've been really swinging for the fences. Our latest video is our biggest one yet, nearly an hour long and involving half a dozen experts. Asking "Should lying about climate change be illegal?" and, if so, how do we make it so? youtu.be/FKtCuwfUCJg

A proud part of the ~12% even though schools not that long ago tried to force it out of me. Data always requires careful and measured interpretation.